Trying to rebuild his reputation

Off probation for grand theft, Peter Schorsch, 31, of St. Petersburg, has a new company called Rogue Political Consulting, and he hopes candidates throughout Pinellas will hire him to run their campaigns, starting with St. Petersburg's municipal elections this fall. "I still face issues with my reputation," Schorsch said. "I'm going to have to prove to people what I have learned the past two years about being accountable for my actions."

More here.

Comments

Perfect timing- amid scandal and low expectations thus enters Peter.

Get a real job loser. Stop bilking people.

[Erin M.]

Are you kidding me? That guy is a crook!

My sister's boyfriend used to work for a printer that Peter bouned several checks on for several jobs and never ended up paying on anything.

I also heard he stiffed 2 sign companies for work for candidates in 2005.

These people are out hard cash because of this creep. They are just small family businesses trying to get by.

Guess things didn't go over too well at Parkshore...

Any candidate dumb enough to hire Peter....

That guy should just start over in a new town far, far away. He lost all credibility and respectability here.

[Jack]

Despite his personal history, Peter was, and I presume still is, one of the brightest young minds in the public arena. Hopefully, he can put his talents to good use this time around.

how is he a bright young mind Jack? Can you give examples? And at what age are you no longer young? This guy is 31 and looks 41.

Hitler had a bright mind too. So did John Bryan, Angelo Cappelli.

[alc]

In one calendar year, he was fired or forced to leave Moon Under Water, Limeys, Sunshine City Grill, and Parkshore Grill. If he can't be trusted refilling ice tea, how is a candidate supposed to trust him with their campaigns?

[Peter Schorsch]

First and foremost, I am thankful to God, my family, friends and colleagues for sticking by my over the last two years. From the moment my father was diagnosed with cancer until three Wednesdays ago when I was freed from my probation, it has been the darkest period in my life.

It goes without saying that I have learned any number of valuable lessons in this time. I realized what I did was wrong, why I did those things and what I needed to do to change my life.

As a matter of fact, I went to confession yesterday just to ask for God's strength to keep me on the right path. The last three weeks have been amazing as I regain the freedom I lost. Just going to play tennis at North Shore Park was enough to bring a tear to my eye as it hit me how stupid I was to do all the things I've done.

Someone mentioned above that I am returning "amid scandal and low expectations" and I can't help but take offense at this comment. I feel so sorry for not just John Bryan's family (that's obvious), I feel for John Bryan's soul that he was so lost that he had forgotten that God's grace is always there. I know something about messing up in public and how bad it feels to be embarrassed -- and yes, there were dark hours when I questioned my own desire to live -- and I find so much fault with a vicious political arena that persecutes unendingly. Yes, what John Bryan did was wrong, but some of the fault for his death lies with all of us, especially if, as the article in the paper today, people had heard rumors about his problems.

This goes to a further point, that none of us are without sin. I think of what has happened to so many of my old foes Angelo, Helm, Hebert and see that they were no better off than I was. It reminds me of what Hemingway said: The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong in the broken places.

I am a stronger person now. I hope you all will continue to forgive me and that some of you will become my friend again.

GREAT COMMENT ALC!

IF I KNEW SOMEONE OWED 66,000 TO FL ELECTIONS, I DONT THINK ID HIRE THEM.

Peter found Christ, of course!

[Peter Schorsch]

ALC: wow it is so nice to see you again. Here's where you'll see I haven't changed...That picture was from two years ago. Ive dropped twenty five lbs., since then and work out every day. ALC, you know I luck into dating some of the best looking women in this town, so if I look 41, I guess I must be doing it all on personality. BTW, the Hitler reference is way, way out of line.

[Peter Schorsch]

I didn't find Christ. As anyone who knows me, I have been a devout Catholic throughout my life. I strayed from my faith, but it was in the darkest hour that I found it again.

[Free Advice]

People with dark sides, bad habits, and a predisposition towards using drugs and stealing from people.....um....perhaps....well let's see here...maybe should not work in politics or consider seeking public office?

And Peter's reply is just as narcissic as he always has been.

[Peter Schorsch]

Narcissistic? Moi? No, it's just when you are on house arrest you have nothing to do but work out. And when you manage a restaraunt, you have nothing to do but date hostesses and waitresses.

[Jack]

I am not as familiar with politics as you all are; I just know Peter outside of work and he is always one of the best spoken, most well-read individuals. But obviously he has his bad traits.

Your arrogance is not cute. Your swagger somewhat tedious, really. Your arrogance has led to crimes which have hurt people. By narcissism, I do mean your penchant for talking about yourself, and furthermore, assuming we even care about your house arrest or dating history. Most of us here will always remember your mistakes in this town and the people you have hurt. You royally screwed people over and it was due to your arrogance and greed.

[Peter]

I have paid my debt to society and am now free to do what I want. And I will never give up that freedom again.

5:55 spoken like any other criminal I ever came into contact with: real sorry - when they get caught.

Cocaine addiction is quite a monkey to have on your back. I am sorry for you for that.

So Peter are you going to pay back Presto Print, Suncoast Signs and Signs by Tomorrow all the money you owe them?

I'm sure there are more out there?

Are you really going to be a better person and make good on your bad past?

[Peter Schorsch]

6:34 -- What else is a criminal suppose to say. Society so often doesn't even give us a second chance. I remember going through this whole process when I was "suppose" to say something about feeling sorry. And that's not when you really feel sorry, as I did. It's when you go through this whole process and you feel sorry every minute of the day. You can't put it into words and so it always sounds hollow. Of course people are sorry when they are caught, its what they do after they are caught that really matters.

As for anyone else I owe, they can contact me. Honestly, my first goal was to pay off the restituion, that was 10K in five months on top of my normal expenses. That's not bad. I am going to focus next on paying back the fine by the Division of Elections, if they will work with me for a more reasonable amount. After that, or maybe even concurrently, I will start paying back any of the business partners/vendors I left in the lurch. I've already taken care of many.

And I was never addicted to cocaine.

[Trent]

PAY YOUR BILLS PETER!

[Peter]

I just paid off $10K in bills. I am doing exactly that.

WELCOME TO PETER'S LIVE CHAT!

Question: What part of catholicism inspires someone to screw their boss's underage daughter?

[Pinellas Society for the Blind and Deaf]

Peter does luck into dating many good looking women from our club. He does us a great service in providing companionship.

[Peter Schorsch]

Allie was 18 when we first started dating on December 13, 2002.

Wow.... Peter Schorsch back in politics again? Isnt this his third or fourth shot at redemption?

you're a loser, go get affirmed by Bob Allen and Larry Craig. We don't care about you one bit.

How long until Liz M resurfaces?

[Peter Schorsch]

This is my first time at redemption (although the paper misreported one item; I am heading to the islands this Fall/Winter and won't be back until Spring)

Bob Allen and Larry Craig? Am I gay now?

I don't think Lizard would tolerate having a gay friend in Peter.

[Stacy Cole]

Peter,

You've been through some interesting times, to say the least. Everyone makes mistakes. I know I have and you know you have. For those who continue to slam Peter, I hope I am quoting this right: Let thee without sin cast the first stone.

I don't think I slammed you when the s**t was hitting the fan. At least not that I can remember.

We had arranged, once upon a time, to have a meeting that you did not show up to, where I was more disappointed in you than anything else. But, whats done is done.

Good luck as you continue to work in the political realm.

Peter, you've lied, cheated, and stolen from just about everyone who you have worked with. You've had more second chances then one should have.

'nuf said...

Main Entry: rogue
Pronunciation: 'rOg
Function: noun
Etymology: origin unknown
1 : VAGRANT, TRAMP
2 : a dishonest or worthless person : SCOUNDREL
3 : a mischievous person : SCAMP
4 : a horse inclined to shirk or misbehave
5 : an individual exhibiting a chance and usually inferior biological variation
- rogu·ish /'rO-gish/ adjective
- rogu·ish·ly adverb
- rogu·ish·ness noun

http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/rogue

[Peter Schorsch]

This is my first, real second chance. The lying and the cheating is in the past. I've paid my debt to society and am ready to move on. That's one of the reasons why we have a criminal justice system, so that people can learn from their mistakes.

Stacy: I don't remember that meeting, its been so long, but if youd like to meet up and have a drink, drop me a line.

[ex terminator]

Peter, stop typing and start changing. Geez.

Keep the day job, Peter, if you can. Can't be enough stupid, desperate candidates for you to make a living providing political consul.

"Division of Elections, if they will work with me for a more reasonable amount"

So Peter you want special treatment for your fines to the state that are the same fines that anyone would pay if they did the things you did. Why don't you leave the political world and find another type of PR job. You will never change and have been the same person since college where you were one of the slimiest guys at FSU, ask anyone who was in student government. You give the business of political consulting a bad name and only Max Steiner is worse than you with concern to FSU alumni who have worked in politics in Florida. Don't die just fade away and out of our lives.

[Peter Schorsch]

I don't want special treatment from the Division of Elections, but I'm not going to pay $1,000 per violation, especially when some of the violations are for very minute technical violations. Read the report and youll see what I mean.

And thank you for saying Im better than ol' Max, but there are still way, way more slimier FSU SG alums.

Peter, your first "second chance" came when you cheated your first client. You failed to change then, the second, third, etc. Now you want u s to beleive that since you were "caught" and held accountable that you change - prove yourself in some other area of PR first and then maybe some first-timer candidate will have faith in you.

I know grassroots activists won't be supporting such a candidate if any money raised is going to you.

... ouch ...

[Peter S.]

I messed up once, for about a six month period. I was "caught", reformed and am not looking for a second chance, because the political system is so messed up that there really isn't anyone to ask a second chance from. By this time next year, so many of our local politicians are going to be outed for this indiscretion or that misdeed. The media, especially The Times, especially the blogosphere, is going to have every head on a stick it can get. So, while I feel like I've done what I needed to do about apologizing to my victims and the people Ive disappointed, Im not going to apologize to faceless bloggers.

THis guy is A borIng.

Peter -
Don't apologize to me or any of my colleagues, just stay the hell away from anything outside Pinellas and Hillsborough.

If the political work in that part of the world doesn't come your way through a second chance, why don't you go back to the help desk at Best Buy's Geek Squad. I'm certain they'll give you your black clip on back.

There is a zero chance, make that less than zero chance, that any credible candidate would associate with Peter S.

Peter, you might find some pathetic, no-chance folks willing to hold their nose and talk to you but my best advice to you would be to learn these words and practice them over and over...

"Want fries with that?"

That's your future Peter. The sooner you get comfortable with it, the sooner you stop boring all of us...

[Peter Schorsch]

You know, when Adam and I talked about this article, he was worried that this would turn into a fracas. Who would have thought?

If you'd stay off the blog, it would go away. You're the one perpetuating the string. You can't answer every critic and you can't make everyone happy. Close the blog and get to work. The only way you will redeem yourself is through hard work. Actions speak louder than words. Get busy.

Peter, every comment moves you further away from your well-crafted initial post. You've asked God for forgiveness, sets the right tone of humility. Your continued posts do not.